SAN DIEGO - Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired Monday night in a shocking move by team president Dean Spanos, who cited a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach and general manager A.J. Smith.
Less than a month after San Diego's NFL-best 14-2 season was wrecked in a playoff loss to New England, Spanos cited the exodus of both coordinators and other assistants in firing Schottenheimer, who had a year left on his contact.
"The process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager," Spanos said in a statement. "In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation."
The firing was first reported by ESPN.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, following offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and two other assistants out of town for better jobs.
Although Schottenheimer said last week that change was inevitable, Smith sounded concerned, saying, "Both in the same year Wow."
Tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski became Cleveland's offensive coordinator, and linebackers coach Greg Manusky was hired as San Francisco's defensive coordinator.
Running backs coach Clarence Shelmon, who's never been a coordinator, was promoted to replace Cameron. Shelmon accepted only a one-year contract due to Schottenheimer's lame-duck status. Schottenheimer declined the team's offer of a $4.5 million, one-year extension through 2008, which came with a club-option $1 million buyout.
Schottenheimer has been at odds with Smith since the 2005 season, apparently over personnel decisions by the GM.

Dom Heffner

02-13-2007, 12:03 AM

Teams take making the playoffs for granted. Marty is Marty, but even Dungy won eventually.

I'd rather be in the hunt year after year than get some toad who can't get you there.

It will be interesting to see the Chargers next move.

Donder

02-13-2007, 12:26 AM

What horrible timing for them to fire them. At least if they had been decisive enough to do this immediately following their loss to New England they could have considered promoting one of their coordinators (although I realize that their leaving apparently had something to do with his firing). But at this point the pool of potential head coaches is pretty shallow. At least one would think.

That said, that position will be very attractive. I mean, they're already next years Super Bowl favorites.

DoogMinAmo

02-13-2007, 12:52 AM

What horrible timing for them to fire them. At least if they had been decisive enough to do this immediately following their loss to New England they could have considered promoting one of their coordinators (although I realize that their leaving apparently had something to do with his firing). But at this point the pool of potential head coaches is pretty shallow. At least one would think.

That said, that position will be very attractive. I mean, they're already next years Super Bowl favorites.

Even though the pool is shallow, the ball is still in their court. You said it, that team is stacked. I have to imagine Petrino and others are kicking themselves right now.

George Foster

02-13-2007, 02:22 AM

I waffle on this decision. Here is a guy that has put together a great team, however he has not won a playoff game sense the Culture Club had a hit song. He made some questionable calls during their playoff loss. The most notable being not going for it, at mid-field,on 4th down late in the 4th quarter. I don't know....maybe some guys just can't get over the hump, maybe he does have a dark cloud over him?

What sucks for him is all the other coaching jobs are taken. We will see him doing TV next season.

RedsBaron

02-13-2007, 07:43 AM

I mean, they're already next years Super Bowl favorites.

While the Chargers obviously will be mentioned among the favorites for the AFC title in 2007, right now I wouldn't pick them as the leading favorite. Given their instability at coaching, I'd put San Diego behind the Colts and Patriots, and I wouldn't be shocked to see the Steelers and Bengals outperform the Chargers next season.

Donder

02-13-2007, 10:41 AM

While the Chargers obviously will be mentioned among the favorites for the AFC title in 2007, right now I wouldn't pick them as the leading favorite. Given their instability at coaching, I'd put San Diego behind the Colts and Patriots, and I wouldn't be shocked to see the Steelers and Bengals outperform the Chargers next season.

I was just basing my comment on the odds that some casino in Vegas relased the day after the Super Bowl. They had SD as the favorites for '07. Sorry, I don't have a link or anything.

Edit: Here's a link to an article that I found- http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=bizarre&id=5004990

savafan

02-13-2007, 12:45 PM

What's Dave Shula doing these days? ;)

Redsland

02-13-2007, 12:49 PM

Even though the pool is shallow, the ball is still in their court.

"If we can hit that bull's-eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate!"

http://home.earthlink.net/~mountfuturama/Zapportrait.jpg

:explode:

:)

Red Leader

02-13-2007, 12:57 PM

Meet the new Chargers head coach: Norv Turner.

Really, do they have any other choice? He's the only candidate out there with head coaching experience...

He did work some magic with Aikman, Smith, and Irving. Maybe he can do the same with Rivers, Tomlinson and Gates.

savafan

02-13-2007, 12:59 PM

Bill Parcells? :)

Red Leader

02-13-2007, 01:00 PM

I think it'll be more interesting to see who they get to fill the Off. Coordinator and Def. Coordinator positions with.

RichRed

02-13-2007, 02:02 PM

Don Coryell has experience. Sure he's 82 now, but I hear he's spry.

Chip R

02-13-2007, 02:54 PM

Meet the new Chargers head coach: Norv Turner.

Really, do they have any other choice? He's the only candidate out there with head coaching experience...

What about Art Shell? ;) And I'm sure Nick Saban will be throwing his hat in the ring any minute now.

Red Leader

02-13-2007, 02:57 PM

Did Jim Mora already take a job somewhere after being fired in Atlanta? I would think San Diego would be an ideal job for him. An actual QB who can be a QB.

Sabo Fan

02-13-2007, 03:42 PM

Did Jim Mora already take a job somewhere after being fired in Atlanta? I would think San Diego would be an ideal job for him. An actual QB who can be a QB.

Seattle signed him up to coach their secondary, I believe. I doubt he'd have too much of a problem getting out of that though. I like Mora and I think he'd do well in SD.

Read somwhere that some Chargers and USC insiders think Pete Carroll has the job locked up. Certainly would explain why Sarkisian (sp?) decided to turn down the Raiders job if he knew he'd be taking over USC shortly.

Yachtzee

02-13-2007, 06:00 PM

How about a Chuck Bresnahan, heh Danny?

http://hfboards.com/customavatars/avatar15381_3.gif

Puffy

02-13-2007, 06:31 PM

Too bad for Marty - AJ Smith is a bona fide ass, but he's a good general manager. I think lots of people will be scared off that job because of Smith though. He's never going to play nice with others for long.

Chip R

02-13-2007, 06:41 PM

Too bad for Marty - AJ Smith is a bona fide ass, but he's a good general manager. I think lots of people will be scared off that job because of Smith though. He's never going to play nice with others for long.

If he doesn't think Marty is ever going to take them to the Super Bowl, firing him is justified - even after they went 14-2. Is it just bad luck or does he just pull a giant choke job when he gets to the playoffs?

Puffy

02-13-2007, 06:44 PM

If he doesn't think Marty is ever going to take them to the Super Bowl, firing him is justified - even after they went 14-2. Is it just bad luck or does he just pull a giant choke job when he gets to the playoffs?

Him getting fired has nothing, apparently, to do with playoffs, Super Bowl, etc. Reportedly it has everything to do with Smith and Marty not being able to get along - to the point of not talking at all.

As for Marty and playoffs - he makes questionable calls to be sure. Its a combination of those calls, conservativism and bad luck. Hell, if Byner doesn't fumble these questions never come up cause he would have been in a super bowl.

Chip R

02-13-2007, 07:07 PM

Him getting fired has nothing, apparently, to do with playoffs, Super Bowl, etc. Reportedly it has everything to do with Smith and Marty not being able to get along - to the point of not talking at all.

Yeah, I know but it would have been a little more difficult to fire him if S.D. made it to the Super Bowl or won it.

As for Marty and playoffs - he makes questionable calls to be sure. Its a combination of those calls, conservativism and bad luck. Hell, if Byner doesn't fumble these questions never come up cause he would have been in a super bowl.

Sure. But I'm just using Marty as an example. I'm asking more in a general sense. Are there coaches - and managers - who just can't make it to the next level?

Redman15

02-13-2007, 07:14 PM

It's to bad Marty couldn't hold on to the football. It's a shame he took the fall for all those dropped passes and turnovers. I think he did a great job with the Bolts. Who ever gets that job will have a pretty good chance to get to the Super Bowl next year. Go Chargers!!!!!!!

SanDiegoRed

02-13-2007, 08:41 PM

The firing is justified...This team was flat out built to win a Super Bowl and had all the pieces in place. It will be interesting to see what AJ. does. Marty was never his coach.

pedro

02-13-2007, 08:44 PM

The firing is justified...This team was flat out built to win a Super Bowl and had all the pieces in place. It will be interesting to see what AJ. does. Marty was never his coach.

Now AJ's in a bad spot though IMO. Anything short of a superbowl next year and his head will be on a stick.

RBA

02-13-2007, 08:47 PM

The job is Pete Carroll's, if he wants it.

remdog

02-13-2007, 09:13 PM

Hey RBA!

I see you changed your location. Does that mean you're all moved into SoCal?

Rem

RBA

02-13-2007, 09:23 PM

Hey RBA!

I see you changed your location. Does that mean you're all moved into SoCal?

Rem

Yup, been living in a hotel in Imperial Beach (Seacoast Inn, window looks out directly to the beach and the Pacific Ocean; awesome view) for 3 weeks and 1 more week before we get our base house. The house will be located near I-8/I-15 interchange (Qualcomm Statdium), a pretty central location.

Razor Shines

02-13-2007, 10:13 PM

Nevermind, I was thinking of a different fumble.

IslandRed

02-13-2007, 10:30 PM

You accidentally typed "super bowl", there was this one team they would have had to play first.

No, there wasn't. He said if Byner doesn't fumble. Different game.

Razor Shines

02-13-2007, 10:39 PM

No, there wasn't. He said if Byner doesn't fumble. Different game.

Well now who looks like the jackass.

UKFlounder

02-13-2007, 10:39 PM

Now AJ's in a bad spot though IMO. Anything short of a superbowl next year and his head will be on a stick.

As it should be.

For all the talk about Marty not winning it all, what has Smith done? What has the Spanos ownership done? They made 1 Super Bowl but lost it, and lost in other AFC Championship games. Their legacy sure isn't much better than Marty's.

Puffy

02-13-2007, 11:11 PM

As it should be.

For all the talk about Marty not winning it all, what has Smith done? What has the Spanos ownership done? They made 1 Super Bowl but lost it, and lost in other AFC Championship games. Their legacy sure isn't much better than Marty's.

And it was Bobby Beathard who was the GM when the Bolts made it to the Super Bowl, not Smith.

IslandRed

02-13-2007, 11:46 PM

Well now who looks like the jackass.

Chuckle... truth be told, I initially read it the same way you did.

IslandRed

02-13-2007, 11:53 PM

As it should be.

For all the talk about Marty not winning it all, what has Smith done? What has the Spanos ownership done? They made 1 Super Bowl but lost it, and lost in other AFC Championship games. Their legacy sure isn't much better than Marty's.

True enough. Although I give Smith a lot of credit. The organization had been down for awhile when he took it over; as recently as three years ago, the Mannings were turning up their noses at the organization, it wasn't good enough for Eli. It wasn't instantaneous, but Smith made some smart draft picks and some tough calls (such dealing the pick that could have landed Michael Vick and getting LT instead, coming out of Eli Manning's power play with Philip Rivers). Marty Schottenheimer deserves credit for going 14-2 with that roster; Smith deserves the credit for a roster that could go 14-2 in the AFC.

But apparently they couldn't stand each other, so Spanos had to decide which guy was more replaceable. It happens.

GAC

02-13-2007, 11:57 PM

I always Liked Marty. A stand-up guy IMO. But the "writing is on the wall" when you can't get along with your GM.

Reasons for his firing include a strained relationship with GM A.J. Smith which reached a breaking point when 4 assistants (Cam Cameron, Wade Phillips, Rob Chudzinski and Greg Manusky) left for better positions with other teams.

Team president Dean Spanos released a statement saying "Our fans deserve to know what changed for me over the last month. When I decided to move ahead with Marty Schottenheimer in mid-January, I did so with the expectation that the core of his fine coaching staff would remain intact. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, and the process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager. In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation and create an environment where everyone at Charger Park would be pulling in the same direction and working at a championship level. I expect exactly that from our entire Charger organization in 2007."

It must simply be karma for Marty. He's coached some very talented teams in Cleveland, K.C., Washington, and then S.D., while putting up some impressive winning percentages in the regular season.

His playoff record of 5-13 though, says it all. Tough luck.

cincinnati chili

02-14-2007, 12:40 AM

This is a team I'll cheer to failure next year. Hate to do it, as I like L.T. But I don't blame the coach for this at all.

Plus, they've got some questionable characters, despite some obvious talent, and could implode easier than people think.

Heath

02-14-2007, 10:35 PM

GAC, I'm disappointed in you.

I'm afraid that I watched the ESPN interview with Marty. I kept picturing him in the orange and brown.

At least his teams get to the playoffs. In Cleveland, that would be bliss.

Or, ironically, taking the Browns to the Super Bowl.

Ok, I'm going off medication now.

:D

Dom Heffner

02-20-2007, 11:34 AM

So the Chargers fire Schottenheimer and hire a guy who truly can't get over the hump: Norv Turner.

It's almost as if they fired Schottenheimer because they thought he deserved it and then forgot they had to hire another coach to replace him.

I have employees that I could fire for any reason- personal calls, cig breaks, whatever- but I would be hard pressed to find somebody better, so I keep them. It's like having a significant other: there are any number of reasons to get rid of them but would something new be necessarily better?

The Chargers would have been wise to do the same if their best answer was Norv Turner. Eck.

Red Leader

02-20-2007, 11:45 AM

Meet the new Chargers head coach: Norv Turner.

Really, do they have any other choice? He's the only candidate out there with head coaching experience...

He did work some magic with Aikman, Smith, and Irving. Maybe he can do the same with Rivers, Tomlinson and Gates.

Prognostications for teh win!

Puffy

02-20-2007, 11:48 AM

Prognostications for teh win!

Shenannigans!

Quoting oneself! Shenannigans!

MWM

02-20-2007, 12:22 PM

What an awful decision by the Chargers. With that team, how do you go and hire a guy who has Norv's track record as a head coach? Just silly. Maybe this is a bad organization like the Manning's thought.

Red Leader

02-20-2007, 12:28 PM

Shenannigans!

Quoting oneself! Shenannigans!

Dude, I was just proving that I was teh winna!

You're just jealous.

CQ would have to make an official call, but I don't think we have to even bother him with this.

This is just purely a case of jealousy and not Shenanigans.

Puffy

02-20-2007, 01:23 PM

Spoken like a guilty person.......

KronoRed

02-20-2007, 02:36 PM

Get CQ in here

pedro

02-20-2007, 02:42 PM

wow, Norv Turner?

That seems like a mistake.

KronoRed

02-20-2007, 03:17 PM

Norv must interview well.

RichRed

02-20-2007, 03:19 PM

wow, Norv Turner?

That seems like a mistake.

Keeping the seat warm for Ron Rivera is my guess (they just hired him to be LB coach after the Bears didn't renew his contract).

Jaycint

02-20-2007, 03:22 PM

Keeping the seat warm for Ron Rivera is my guess (they just hired him to be LB coach after the Bears didn't renew his contract).

Yeah but if that's the case why not just hire Rivera as the head guy outright? He has interviewed for head jobs all over the place so I don't quite get why he would need to be groomed...

As for the Turner hiring, what a completely uninspired, vanilla, "bleh" hiring. Absolutely horrible...

BRM

02-20-2007, 03:24 PM

I wouldn't be too thrilled with this news if I were a Charger's fan.

RichRed

02-20-2007, 03:28 PM

I wouldn't be too thrilled with this news if I were a Charger's fan.

I have two friends who are Chargers fans and they are tearing their hair out. And as a Redskins fan, I feel their pain.

RichRed

02-20-2007, 03:30 PM

Yeah but if that's the case why not just hire Rivera as the head guy outright? He has interviewed for head jobs all over the place so I don't quite get why he would need to be groomed...

As for the Turner hiring, what a completely uninspired, vanilla, "bleh" hiring. Absolutely horrible...

My guess is they preferred someone who already had head coaching experience who wouldn't change things too drastically in order to make for a smoother transition. Not that I agree with it since Norv is, I'm quite certain, the devil.